National Student Clearinghouse Research Center
The National Student Clearinghouse® Research Center™ publishes relevant, objective data on postsecondary metrics to serve the community. With the majority of institutions in the United States providing data to the Clearinghouse, the research center’s publications guide policymakers and business leaders to make the best decisions for higher education.
Publication Series
Persistence and Retention
This report series helps institutions understand first-year college persistence and retention patterns, both into the second fall and the first spring, and identify disparities across different student groups, institutions, or states in this critical early success indicator.
Last Published June 26, 2025
77.6%
Fall 2023 starters who persisted into their second fall term, up 0.3 percentage points over the previous cohort
Some College, No Credential
This report series seeks to understand the educational trajectories of millions of U.S. adults who left postsecondary education without receiving a credential and are no longer enrolled.
Last Published June 4, 2025
37.6M
Some College, No Credential population currently under 65 as of July 2023, up 2.2% from previous year
Current Term Enrollment Estimates
Latest enrollment estimates for the spring of 2025 nationally and by state, reported on by institution types, student groups, and major fields.
Last Published May 22, 2025
+562,000
Increase in total postsecondary enrollment from a year ago
Undergraduate Degree Earners
Insights into undergraduate completers in the 2023-24 academic year by demographic and educational profiles.
Last Published April 10, 2025
+0.6%
Increase in undergraduate credential earners from a year ago
Transfer Enrollment and Pathways
A report series on the transfer enrollment and pathways of undergraduate students. How many students transferred, where they transferred to and from, and transfer student demographics are reported for fall 2020 through fall 2024.
Last Published March 5, 2025
+4.4%
Increase in transfers in fall 2024 from a year ago (as of 01/23/2025)
PDP Insights: Early Indicators of Timely Completers
The latest Postsecondary Data Partnership Insights report focuses on four key early success indicators: first-year credit completion ratio (CCR), first-year credits earned, first-year grade point average (GPA), and second-year enrollment. Using descriptive statistics and regression models, this report analyzes the differences between timely completers and non-completers on these early indicators.
Published December 12, 2024
99.9%
Of timely completers continued enrollment into their second year versus less than 85% of non-completers
Yearly Progress and Completion
This report contains many elements previously published in two of the Research Center’s primary reports focused on student progress toward credential attainment. This report combines the year-over-year look at a cohort’s journey toward completion (Yearly Success and Progress) with the in-depth analysis of six-year and eight-year cohort completion rates (Completing College).
Published December 4, 2024
61.1%
The national 6-year college completion rate for fall 2018 starters; the highest rate over twelve years of tracking
Stay Informed with the Latest Enrollment Information – Fall 2024
This report series continues to enable educational and policy leaders to make informed decisions through timely enrollment trend reporting that began with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last Published October 23, 2024
2.9%
Increase in postsecondary enrollment from a year earlier (as of 9/26/2024)
High School Benchmarks
Provides the most current data on high school graduates’ postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion outcomes.
Last Published September 12, 2024
78%
Persistence rate from the first to second year of college for 2021 graduates from low-income high schools, a 3 percentage point increase from the previous year.
Tracking Transfer
Latest six-year baccalaureate degree completion rate for transfer students from two- to four-year institutions is reported for the 2016 cohort of first-time degree-seeking students, analyzed by student demographics and institutional characteristics.
Last Published April 18, 2024
15.3%
Fall 2016 community college starters who earned a BA in six years
College Closures and Student Outcomes
Building on a three-report series offering a national view of how students are affected by college closures, an interactive dashboard provides additional data insights on characteristics of closed institutions that lead to more positive student outcomes and reenrollment rates of students who became part of the Some College No Credential (SCNC) population following closure.
Published November 2, 2023
47%
Reenrollment rate following a campus closure
Upcoming Publications
SUMMER 2025
Tracking Transfer
FALL 2025